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The US government has decided to expand sanctions on drug distributors to prevent the so-called ‘zombie drug’, fentanyl (a type of narcotic painkiller) from entering the United States, which has emerged as a serious social problem.

In a material related to ‘Strengthening Efforts to Block Illegal Fentanyl Supply Chain’ distributed on the 11th, the Biden administration announced that it would strengthen efforts to block illegal financial activities, such as sanctions against drug distributors, to prevent the use of the US financial system for drug transactions.

Accordingly, the Administration plans to strengthen coordination with international partners on efforts to combat illicit financing and money laundering related to the drug trade.

It has decided to cooperate in blocking drug manufacturing and distribution by establishing a global coalition with countries with similar stances who believe that countering synthetic drugs such as fentanyl is important.

It will also strengthen information sharing between US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and work with the private sector to ensure that chemicals and equipment that could be used to manufacture fentanyl do not fall into the hands of drug dealers.

Fentanyl, which is illegally manufactured and distributed, is the number one cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 49, and two-thirds of the 107,622 deaths from drug overdose in the United States in 2021 were due to fentanyl.

The White House stressed that man-made fentanyl poses a threat to national security, public safety, and health because it is easier to manufacture and transport and more lethal than conventional drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated nearly 100 individuals and companies involved in drug trafficking, including fentanyl, as targets for sanctions in accordance with President Biden’s executive order in December 2021.

AFP news agency reported on the 31st that the dark cooperation between the United States and Mexico, which tried to curb illegal immigration to the United States, was once again revealed through the fire disaster at the Mexican Immigration Agency (INM) that caused about 60 casualties.

At least 39 people died, and 28 others were injured in a fire that broke out on the 27th at the immigration detention center in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, northern Mexico, adjacent to El Paso, USA.

At the time, the camp housed 66 immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, and El Salvador.

The number of immigrants trapped here is just the tip of the iceberg compared to the number Mexico has detained and deported.

Mexico’s immigration agency detained at least 281,149 overcrowded migrants and deported 98,299 migrants, including children, in 2022 alone, Amnesty International (AI) said in its annual report published this week.

It is pointed out that such a stern response is due to Mexico’s active cooperation with the United States’ policy on deporting illegal immigrants.

In 2020, then-President Donald Trump introduced a policy to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The policy allowed illegal immigrants to be immediately deported without a refugee screening process.

AFP reported that many migrants who failed to cross the border were deported mainly overland through Mexico.

Between January and November of last year, the number of irregular immigrants registered in Mexico totaled more than 388,000, an increase of more than 30% compared to 2021.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights organization, criticized the Immigration Agency fire case as revealing how fatal the US outsourcing of migrant control issues to Mexico had been.

Immigration expert Eunice Rendon also pointed out that Mexico is doing the “dirty work” for the United States.

At the same time, it was evaluated that this fire disaster was the result of the side effects of the United States’ immigration policy.

Online media reported on the 28th that about 80% of mass shootings in the United States involved legally sold firearms.

According to recent data released by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) under the Department of Justice, an analysis of mass shootings in the United States between 1966 and 2019 that resulted in the deaths of four or more people found that 77% of shooters used at least one legally purchased firearm in their crimes. appeared to have been used.

Only 13 percent of the cases involved illegally purchased firearms being used for crimes, and there were also cases of shootings by stealing firearms from acquaintances such as family members.

It was found that more than 80% of gunmen who committed crimes in middle and high schools used firearms owned by their families.

The NIJ emphasized that even this is a figure that failed to verify information about 32.5% of all mass shootings.

This can be verified through real-life examples.

The suspect who killed six people, including students and faculty, at an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee the day before was known to have legally purchased and possessed a total of seven tablets, including three guns used in the case.

The shooter who killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, in May last year bought an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a shotgun from a federally licensed gun company, and received a rifle as a gift, the Associated Press reported.

A few days before the shooter who killed 21 people, including 19 children, at Rob Elementary School in Euvaldy, Texas, in May last year, he legally purchased two semi-automatic rifles.

The gunman who killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in February 2018 also legally purchased an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

Governor Jash Green is planning to streamline the Aloha Stadium redevelopment project.

The main content is to make it easier to distinguish the roles of private companies and government.

In other words, instead of the existing method in which private companies oversee design, construction, maintenance, and management, and the government operates, the route is set in the direction of entrusting the operation to private companies.

Project costs are also planned to be fully or mostly paid by the state government.

State Budget and Finance Director Luis Salaveria explained that there has been a change in perception that private companies can be more efficient in construction and maintenance as well as operations than state governments.

According to an analysis released on February 16 by PFM Financial Advisors, a New York-based financial advisory firm, maintenance, management, and operating costs after the renovation of Aloha Stadium are expected to cost about $1.49 billion over 30 years.

However, if the work is done jointly with a private company, the cost is about 1.03 billion dollars, and a cost savings of 460 million dollars can be expected.

The size of the new Aloha Stadium has been adjusted from 50,000 seats to about 35,000 seats.

Salaveria explained that approximately 73 acres of state land surrounding the stadium will be allocated to private companies to develop restaurants, retail, housing, hotels, parking lots and other facilities of national interest.

Revenues from the new stadium and surrounding facilities are said to be deposited into the state’s general fund.

Director Salaveria added that public-private cooperation (P3) will be continued to expedite the redevelopment of the Aloha Stadium, which has been delayed, and that it is a realistic plan to accompany private companies.

Meanwhile, it is known that Governor Green’s business simplification plan has not yet been formally introduced to the stadium management board. Therefore, open tender proposals targeting private companies have not yet been prepared.

Director Salaveria replied that no specific schedule has been set at this time.

It is important to remember that delays in bidding and development increase costs, said Chris Kinimaka, director of the State Accountability Office (DAGS).

He invested about $25 million in preliminary work alone, including land use approval, environmental assessment and planning, feasibility studies, and selection of subcontractors.

However, the refurbishment plan has been delayed several times due to complex circumstances, such as going through difficulties in preparing the bill.

In September of last year, former governor David Ige completely stopped the redevelopment plan that was in progress at the time.

If Governor Greene’s new proposal goes ahead, the private company contract is targeted for early 2024 and the opening of the new stadium in 2027.

The state of Hawaii is facing a shortage of truck drivers.

Hawaii Transportation Association (HTA) President Gareth Sakakida explained that the driver shortage had been a topic of discussion since 1981, but it became more severe as the number of immigrants to the US mainland increased after the COVID-19 crisis.

A shortage of truck drivers means a threat to the logistics supply chain.

Chairman Sakakida said that although he is adjusting the transportation schedule as efficiently as possible so that goods can be supplied to each store on time, it is difficult to meet everyone’s needs due to a fundamental shortage of workers.

For example, even if there are several companies requesting supplies, there is no driver who can transport the goods at the same time, so the order of driving the truck must be determined.

In addition, it is said that it is a big problem that there is no extra manpower to replace it when traffic jams or unexpected events occur.

The truck driver shortage is a national phenomenon.

An October 2021 report from the American Trucking Association (ATA) analyzed that the truck driver shortage in 2021 will reach an all-time high of about 80,000 nationwide.
Major factors include the occurrence of elderly retirees, the lack of female workers, the decrease in driving school graduates due to COVID-19, and the lack of drug test standards for drivers due to the spread of marijuana legalization.

According to Honolulu City Government Civil Service (DCS) data, the number of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) on Oahu was 1,770 in 2022, down about 18% from 2,150 in 2021 and about 40% from 2,932 in 2019.

The number of new commercial driver’s licenses issued was 643 in 2022, up from 570 in 2021, 274 in 2020, and 629 in 2019. However, the number of renewal licenses in 2022 was 1,127, significantly reduced from 1,580 in 2021 and 2,303 in 2019.

Mainland truck drivers in the United States usually cite disconnection from family as a grievance due to long-distance driving. However, the state of Hawaii cited the lack of a highway network, narrow road conditions, and traffic congestion as difficulties.

It is known that there are many things to pay attention to for safe and efficient delivery in areas with a very high density of stores, such as Waikiki and downtown.

One of the reasons for the lack of drivers is that truck driving is not perceived as attractive to the younger generation as it used to be.

Professor Mike Scully, who oversees the commercial driver’s license course provided by the Leeward Community College’s Department of Continuing Education and Human Resources Development, said that the starting salary of a commercial driver in Hawaii is about $23 an hour, and that younger generations are encouraged to sit in front of computers and pay more. analyzed would be preferred. He added that traditionally truck drivers were poorly paid for the intensity and risk of the work.

Professor Scully said that since 2020, 125 students have completed the seven-week commercial driver’s license (CDL) training, and that most of the graduates are often hired immediately after training due to the current labor shortage in the industry.

Professor Scully’s curriculum is being operated with the support of about $35 million from the Good Jobs Hawaii program for human resource development planning at the community college affiliated with the state university.

Hawaii Transportation Association (HTA) President Sakakida pointed out that the age limit of 21 is also one of the factors that make it difficult to secure truck drivers.

The federal government limits the age of truck drivers traveling between states to 21. However, in the case of out-of-state truck driving within the state, it is known that younger age groups are also allowed.

President Sakakida explained that after graduating from high school, it would take three more years before he was old enough to get a truck driver’s license, and if that’s the amount of time, he would be more likely to find another job.

As Star Advertiser reports, some question whether an 18-year-old can drive a truck safely.

However, the truck industry believes that the risk can be minimized by strengthening training and regulations and accompanying experienced drivers.

In fact, the Federal Motor Vehicle Transportation Safety Authority (FMCSA) is said to have launched an apprenticeship program last year that allows commercial driver license holders aged 18 to 20 to drive weekly trucks accompanied by an experienced driver.

San Francisco has been the slowest to recover from the pandemic of any major U.S. city.

According to the Economic Recovery Tracking Index launched by the Bay Area Council Business Group on the 28th, San Francisco’s regional economic recovery ranked 24th, behind Baltimore, among 25 large cities across the country.

Economic recovery was ranked based on 15 indicators, including regional job growth, population growth, office occupancy, labor force growth, sales tax receipts and new home construction.

According to commercial real estate firm CBRE, San Francisco had 27% of all office space in the city empty by the end of 2022. This is because permanent telecommuting has skyrocketed due to the pandemic. According to the Federal Census Bureau Community, 5 to 10 percent of Bay Area workers reported working from home in 2019, but that number soared to 46 percent in 2021.

San Francisco recorded the lowest score in the economic activity index, with a score of 3.2 out of 100. A $96 million decrease in city sales tax revenue from 2019 to 2021 was a major factor. Washington, D.C., ranked second worst, with a score of 12.7 out of 100. Sales tax revenue and decline in travel/visitors were among the indicators of economic activity.

The San Jose area ranked 16th out of 25 large cities, showing a better situation than San Francisco, but the economic recovery was still on the slow side.

The only category where both San Jose and San Francisco topped the list was investment.

Meanwhile, among the 25 large cities in the United States, Texas had the fastest recovery from the pandemic, with Austin in first place and Dallas in second.

Denver, Colorado came in third, followed by Tampa, Florida, and Miami, fourth and fifth, respectively.

According to the FBI, there were 2.6 million background check requests for gun sales last month. Compared to January of 2022 the number of gun sales in the US has increased by 100,000.

In Maryland, where the number of background check requests more than doubled (133.6 percent) amid a steady rise in gun sales despite a series of shooting incidents, it soared from 17,000 last year to 39,000 this year. This means that as many as 39,000 people purchased firearms in January alone, and since used transactions or rentals are not included in the tally, the actual number is estimated to be higher.

Oregano, which recorded the next highest increase, recorded an 88.7% increase from 29,000 last year to 55,000 this year, recording the highest number of views. Virginia rose 9% from 41,000 last year to 45,000 this year, ranking 14th.

As of January 2023, there were 5 million registered firearms, followed by Texas with 588,000, California with 344,000, Florida with 343,000, Virginia with 307,000, and Pennsylvania with 236,000.

UC Berkeley is removing buildings with racist names one after another. On February 7, the university removed the name “Moses Hall” from the wall of the building after Bernard Moses, who wrote that “lynching blacks is an effective way to deter savages.” This removal operation falls under the fifth.

Moses, one of the founders of UC Berkeley, died in 1931 after establishing political departments and history departments, and being respected as a professor who taught law and economics, and his name was used in the name of the school building.

In February 2020, UC Berkeley removed the name of ‘Boalt Hall’, the name of the building named after John Bolt, which had a tremendous impact on the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act (law that prohibited Chinese immigration) in 1882. As a start, we have continued to work on eliminating racist building names. In 1877, Bolt’s racially discriminatory writings, announcing that “Chinese cannot assimilate with whites because of their physical peculiarity, differences in intellectual level and temperament, differences in language and customs, hatred caused by ethnic characteristics, and religious fanaticism, etc.”

Also, ‘LeConte Hall’ named after the brothers John and Joseph LeConte, who fought for the abolitionist South and scientifically studied the terminology of racism, “Whites are historically the most superior race” ‘Barrows Hall’, named after David Prescott Burrow, who left a book and served as UC president in the 1900s, was also deleted from the building name in November 2020.

A museum and art gallery named after Alfred Crover, an anthropological pioneer who collected Native American remains and claimed that the Ohlone people were extinct, has also been removed.

David Schaefer, a professor of biochemical engineering at UC Berkeley, said, “The George Floyd incident and the #MeToo movement have made us more aware of inequality in our society.” These names are part of our history, but we just don’t want to respect the legacy they leave behind.”

Meanwhile, in September of last year, when the school’s name was changed from UC Hastings College of Law to UC College of the Law, San Francisco, Hastings descendants filed a lawsuit against the state government and the school. It was changed following claims that Hastings, who founded the school in 1878, took part in the genocide of Native Americans, but his descendants are protesting it and demanding that the school be restored or enforced by the state to pay an annual interest rate of 7% if the name is removed.

As post offices in the Puget Sound area, including Seattle, are suffering from staff shortages, in some areas, residents are not receiving valuable mail such as social security checks or drug prescriptions on time, even though couriers work overtime until midnight, the Seattle Times reported in an in-depth article. did.

Jan Staley, the shop owner of Bacion Island, runs the store with mailboxes for 150 residents, but on a fictional day, the deliveryman doesn’t come, so she drives to the post office herself, picks up the mail, sorts it, and puts it in the mailbox. “The store has become a post office,” he said.

Virgilio Gause (30) of the Wallingford Post Office, who has been delivering for 6 years, said that recently, there are many apartments and backyards in the North Seattle neighborhood, so if you go around 895 streets, you will walk more than 7 miles (16,000 steps) over 8 hours. Having worked 55 to 72 hours a week for the past several years, he said that he only slept all day on off-duty days.

Kevin Gottlieb, chairman of the postal union (79 branches) in Seattle, including Mill Creek and Avon, said that the number of postal workers in the branch, which was 1,764 in early 2021, decreased by 200 to 1,547 at the end of last year. He said that many baby boomer generation delivery workers had retired, and many employees had left the post office due to the corona pandemic.

Gottlieb explained that some carriers go to work at 6:00 a.m. and deliver until midnight. They often get into car accidents, get bitten by dogs, or are mistaken for thieves by landlords.

He said that the starting wage for delivery workers is between 19 and 23 dollars per hour, and if they work more than 8 hours a day, they get overtime, but post offices with a lot of labor shortages break their labor contracts and make them work 12 hours a day (60 hours a week), and even managers make deliveries. He revealed, “I’ve never seen such a predicament while working at the post office for 35 years.”

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) said it spent more than $80 million in overtime pay for its employees in 2021, and less than half of that $40 million in 2015.

The shortage of couriers is a nationwide phenomenon, especially after the 2020 appointment of Lewis DeJoy, a Republican mega-donor during the Trump administration, to post office director. Furthermore, union officials explained that it is very difficult to find candidates for postal delivery in Seattle, which is considered one of the most expensive cities nationwide.

On the 30th, President Joe Biden started a full-fledged on-site action to emphasize the reorganization of infrastructure, which has been put forward as a key national task.

After the special prosecutor’s investigation into the leaking of classified documents during his tenure as vice president, which erupted at the beginning of the year, has calmed down, he accelerated the pace of digging into labor unions and the middle class by promoting the achievements of infrastructure-related legislation ahead of the declaration of a re-election challenge in the next year’s presidential election.

President Biden visited Baltimore, Maryland, where construction of an aging railroad tunnel was underway that day and emphasized the importance of infrastructure investment.

Laying the groundwork for the rejuvenation of the US economy by reorganizing outdated infrastructure across the United States is one of the key national tasks that President Biden has emphasized since taking office.

It is also a project that the Biden administration has requested bipartisan support to stimulate the economy to escape from the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19).

President Biden also emphasized China’s threat in his speech that day, and repeatedly sent the message that the United States should respond to China’s progress and restore the middle class through the revival of key manufacturing industries.

President Biden said, “To build the world’s best economy, we must secure the world’s best infrastructure,” and “this is not an exaggeration, it is a fact.”

In particular, he said, “In the past, the US ranked first in R&D investment, but now it is only ninth. China, which was previously ranked eighth, is second.” is a reality,” he said.

“For decades, good jobs have flowed abroad along with cheap labor, leaving the middle class, the backbone of America, empty,” he said.

President Biden also mentioned the Ohio battery plant jointly invested by GM and LG Energy Solutions as a success story like this.

President Biden also said, “We made semiconductors, but today we are only responsible for 10% of global production.” “Because foreign semiconductor companies stopped production during the pandemic, American automakers also had to stop production. This should never happen again, and that is why the bipartisan Semiconductor Act was passed,” he highlighted the legislative achievements.

President Biden plans to visit the Hudson Tunnel construction site in New York on the 31st and emphasize the achievements of his infrastructure reconstruction policy.

The American media also added a commentary that there is no business tailored to President Biden as much as improving train infrastructure.

Since President Biden has been a member of Congress for 40 years by train between his home in Washington, DC and Delaware, and is nicknamed “Amtrak Joe,” his “love for trains” is so extraordinary that there is no one more qualified to improve the facilities than him.

On the 3rd of next month, President Biden will visit Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with Vice President Kamala Harris to give a speech about economic achievements since the inauguration of the Biden administration.